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volume^
control



R. GORIKE Aug-15, 1967 3,336,441 MICROPHONE ARRANGEMENT WITHREVERBERATION UNIT AND. CONTROL MEANS THEREFOR 2 Sheets-Sheet j FiledOct. '29. 1963 FIG? RUDOLF SCHEME INVENTOR.

'AGENT United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Microphonearrangement having a reverberation unit, microphone and amplifier,together with at least a manually operable reverberation control and acommon housing which is mountable upon a stand.

- Microphones have already been disclosed which enable the speaker,singer or the like to control the quality of his reproduction at themicrophone during the recital. For this purpose, the microphone housingand/ or a stand carrying the microphone has been provided with one ormore control devices, which enable the desired control of thetransmitting system by means of a remote-control line. Moreparticularly, it has been suggested to provide means for continuouslycontrolling volume and reverberation by a volume-control element and bya reverberation-control element mounted on the microphone or the stand.

The known arrangement has the disadvantage that a mnlti-coredremote-control cable is required which must extend from the microphoneto the amplifiers. Such cables are expensive and cause trouble unlessthey are carefully handled; besides, they are in most cases anobstruction.

The invention avoids all disadvantages of such a re 'mote control byarranging the microphone or microphones, the reverberation device andthe associated amplifiers or amplifiers closely adjacent one another. Insuch an arrangement, only the microphone cable extends away from thestand and all other devices usually preceding the main amplifier aredisposed adjacent to the stand.

The invention may be embodied in numerous forms, some of which will bedescribed hereinafter. For instance, the reverberation device and theassociated amplifier may suitably constitute a fully transistorized unitwhich is provided with a current-supply battery and accommodatedtogether with the microphone in a common housing whereon the controlsfor the reverberation and sound volume are disposed in a manner knownper se. Such a unit is mounted on the stand as a whole, just like anordinary microphone.

This solution, however, is not always desirable, particularly if acontrol of the reverberation is not often required. In this case, it ismore suitable to incorporate the reverberation device with theassociated amplifier and the controls in a separate housing, which haspreferably plug connections and is simply interposed between the standand the microphone.

Alternatively, the reverberation device and the required amplifier maybe firmly incorporated in the stand. In this case, it is advantageous toincorporate the amplifier in the upper part-of the stand, where themicrophone is usually mounted, whereas the reverberating deviceconsisting in most cases of helical wires is accommodated in the hollowcentral column of the stand. The control knobs or other control elementsfor the sound volume and reverberation may be mountedin this casedirectly on the stand, on the amplifier housing or'on the microphonehousing. The

choice of the location of the control elements is at the discretion of aperson skilled in the art.

According to a further feature of the invention, the microphone ormicrophones may be provided with a preamplifier, which may beincorporated in -a common housing with the amplifier for thereverberation device and, if desired, with the reverberation deviceitself.

Because the reverberation device in the form of coiled Wires has in mostcases a relatively large length to enable a sufiiciently longreverberation time to be achieved, it will certainly be suitable in manycases to accommodate the reverberation device in the stand, preferablyin its central column, whereas the other devices, such as amplifier(s),microphone etc. are combined in separate units which can be pluggedtogether.

Because only transistor amplifiers will be used at the present state ofthe art, the above-mentioned units will be operated with batterycurrent. For this reason, it is convenient to design the housings foraccommodating these units so that they can also accommodate thebatteries.

Some embodiments of the invention will now be explained by way ofexample with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation showing a microphone um't according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic elevational view of a microphone and a standconstituting a basic embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a block circuit diagram of a microphone arrangement accordingto the invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic representation of a microphone arrangementcomprising two prefabricated parts; and

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic representation of a microphone arrangementcomprising three prefabricated parts.

In FIG. 1, 1 denotes an upper part and 2 a lower part of a microphonehousing. Part 1 contains only the microphone proper whereas part 2contains the reverberation device, one or two amplifiers and controlelements 3, 4 for the sound volume and reverberation. A rotatable ring 5has an opening 6, which upon a rotation of the ring in the direction ofthe arrow exposes another opening which is formed in the housing 2 andthrough which the batteries required for the amplifier or amplifiers canbe inserted. The entire arrangement is carried by a base 7, which isprovided with connecting plugs 8 and can be fixed by a cap nut to astand or some other suitable support.

Such a plug connection may also be provided in the plane indicated bythe line AB so that the housing parts 1 and 2 can be separated from eachother and the housing part 1 can be mounted directly on the stand orconnected to a part 2 which does not contain a reverberation device but,for instance, includes only a preamplifier.

In the embodiment diagrammatically shown by way of example in FIG. 2,the microphone unit comprising the housing 1, 2 and the controls 3, 4 ismounted on a stand which has a tubular central column 9. The centralcolumn 9 accommodates a helical spring 10, required for producing thereverberation voltage, as well as an input coil 11 and an output coil12. The associated preamplifier is arranged in the housing part 2, whichis either permanently connected to the stand or detachably connected toit to enable a quick replacement of an amplifier part which has becomedefective. The stand is supported in known manner by three legs 13.

FIG. 3 is a block circuit diagram of a microphone arrangement accordingto the invention. Whereas this diagram represents a microphonearrangement of three prefabricated parts, which are adapted to beplugged together, the basic circuit need not be changed for microphonearrangements consisting of only two prefabricated parts.

The first prefabricated part comprises a housing section 31, whichcontains a microphone 33, and a housing section 32, which contains atransistor pre-amplifier 32a batteries 32b for energizing thepre-amplifiier 32a, and a volumecontrol device 320. The output of thepre-amplifier 32a is connected to two plugs 37. The housing sections 31and 32 are permanently interconnected.

The second prefabricated part comprises a housing section 35 containinga transistor reverberation amplifier 35a, batteries 35b for energizingthe amplifier 35a, and a control 350 for adjusting the amount ofreverberation which is introduced into the output of the microphonearrangement. The housing section 35 has two jacks 38 adapted to receivethe plugs 37 of the first housing section 31 and connected to a firstinput 32d of the amplifier 32a.

The housing section 35 has at its end opposite the jacks 38 three pairsof plugs 39. The reverberation amplifier has two outputs, namely, afirst output to which the further amplified output voltage of themicrophone is applied and a second output to which the output cable ofthe microphone arrangement is to be connected. The first and secondoutputs of the reverberation amplifier are connected to first and secondpairs of plugs 39. The third pair of plugs 39 are connected to thesecond input 32e of the reverberation amplifier.

The third prefabricated part comprises a housing section 36, whichcontains the reverberation device -12 (shown connected in a feedbackcircuit of amplifier 35a) and has at one end first, second and thirdpairs of jacks 40, which are adapted to receive the first, second andthird pairs of plugs 39, respectively. The first pair of jacks 40 areconnected to the input coil 11 of the reverberation unit. The secondpair of jacks 40 are directly connected to a pair of plugs 41, which maybe disposed at the end of the housing section 36 opposite the jacks 40and adapted to have a microphone cable connected to it. This arrangementavoids lateral connections. The third pair of sockets 40 are connectedto the output coil 12 of the reverberation device.

These three prefabricated parts 31, 32; 35;- 36 may be assembled as isshown in FIG. 5. The housing sections 31 and 32 may be easily separablefrom each other and connected by plugs and jacks similar to theconnection 37, 38. The housing section 36 may be constituted by oraccommodated in the central column of a microphone stand 9, as is shownin FIG. 2. The plug-and-jack connection 37, 38 may be omitted and thehousing sections 32 and 35 was permanently interconnected.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment in which the plugand-jack connections39, 40 are omitted and the housing sections 35 and 36 are permanentlyinterconnected.

The structural relationship of the electrical components in each housingsection or within each unit comprising a plurality of permanentlyconnected housing sections is not a part of the present invention andwill depend, of course, on the size of the electrical parts required fora microphone having specified electro-acoustic characteristics. Theaccommodation of such parts in housing sections which are as small aspossible and have a pleasing appearance is believed to be wtihin thecapacity of a person skilled in the art. For this reason, suchstructural relation has not been shown.

It will be understood that some other modifications of the assembly arepossible within the scope of the invention. Hence, the invention is notrestricted to the few embodiments shown by way of example. Specifically,the structural relation of the housing sections and the specific form ofthe illustrated plug-and-jack connections in the illustrated embodimentsis disclosed here only by way of example because other designs may wellbe adopted within the scope of the invention. Instead of one microphone,a plurality of microphones may be combined in one microphone arrangementembodying the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A microphone arrangement comprising:

an elongated housing longitudinally subdivided into a plurality ofinterconnectable and individually replaceable, individually closedhousing portions together forming a continuous rectilinear body, saidhousing portions including a first housing portion at one end of thebody, and at least one further housing portion along said body;

a microphone in said first individually closed housing portion adaptedto receive sound waves impinging upon said end of said housing;

a reverberation network in one of said individually closed furtherhousing portions;

an amplifier in one of said housing portions;

mating electrical coupling means between said individually closedhousing portions for electrically connecting said microphone, saidamplifier and said network in an electrical circuit; and

output means on one of said housing portions for delivering an outputsignal from said circuit to an ancillary device.

2. The microphone arrangement defined in claim 1 wherein said first andfurther housing portions are disposed adjacent one another and saidmating electrical coupling means includes contact members respectivelyassigned to said microphone and said reverberation network and mutuallyengageable upon assembly of said housing portions into said body toelectrically connect said microphone with said reverberation network,said second housing portion being provided with an electrical contactmember remote from said first housing portion and receivable by asupport for connecting said reverberation network and said amplifier tosaid ancillary device.

3. The microphone arrangement defined in claim 1 wherein said furtherhousing portion is a relatively long upright support stand for saidfirst housing portion, said first housing portions enclosing saidamplifier, said mating electrical coupling means including contactmembers respectively assigned to said amplifier and said reverberationnetwork and mutually engageable upon mounting of said first housingportion upon said stand to electrically connect said amplifier with saidreverberation network.

4. The microphone arrangement defined in claim 1, further comprisingfirst and second control means connected with said reverberation networkand said amplifier and respectively controlling the reverberationquality and the intensity of the output signal, said first and secondcontrol means being mounted upon said further housing portion and beingmanipulatable from the exterior thereof, said amplifier being enclosedin said further housing portion.

5. The microphone arrangement defined in claim 1, further comprisingfirst and second control means connected with said reverberation networkand said amplifier and respectively controlling the reverberationquality and the intensity of the output signal, said first and secondcontrol means being mounted in said first housing portion and beingoperable from the exterior thereof, said amplifier being enclosed insaid first housing portion.

6. The microphone arrangement defined in claim 1 wherein said amplifieris a transistor amplifier, said arrangement further comprising a batteryfor energizing said amplifier and said reverberation network and whollyreceived in said housing.

7. The microphone arrangement defined in claim 1 wherein said microphoneis provided with a transistor amplifier, further comprising a batteryfor energizing the transistor amplifier of said microphone whollyreceived in said housing.

8. The microphone arrangement defined in claim 1 wherein said firsthousing portion contains a preamplifier electrically connected to saidmicrophone, said arrangement further comprising mechanical connectingmeans for releasably securing said housing portions together, and firstand second control means connected with said reverberation network andsaid amplifier and resepectively controlling the reverberation qualityand the intensity of the output signal, said first and second controlmeans being mounted in said one of said further housing portions andbeing operable externally thereof.

9. The microphone arrangement defined in claim 1 wherein said housingportions includes a second housing portion containing a preamplifier forsaid microphone and an amplifier electrically connected to said rever- 6beration network inter-mediate said first and further housing portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,267,876 12/1941 Schmidt 17912,870,255 1/1959 Jenkins et a1 1791 3,134,049 5/1964 Kilby 317-4013,259,691 7/1966 Byles 179- 1 10 KATHLEEN H. CLAFFY, Primary Exwminer.

WILLIAM C. COOPER, Examiner.

A. H. GESS, Assistant Examiner.

1. A MICROPHONE ARRANGEMENT COMPRISING: AN ELONGATED HOUSINGLONGITUDINALLY SUBDIVIDED INTO A PLURALITY OF INTERCONNECTABLE ANDINDIVIDUALLY REPLACEABLE, INDIVIDUALLY CLOSED HOUSING PORTIONS TOGETHERFORMING A CONTINUOUS RECTILINEAR BODY, SAID HOUSING PORTIONS INCLUDING AFIRST HOUSING PORTION AT ONE END OF THE BODY, AND AT LEAST ONE FURTHERHOUSING PORTION ALONG SAID BODY; A MICROPHONE IN SAID FIRST INDIVIDUALLYCLOSED HOUSING PORTION ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SOUND WAVES IMPINGING UPONSAID END OF SAID HOUSING; A REVERBERATION NETWORK IN ONE OF SAIDINDIVIDUALLY CLOSED FURTHER HOUSING PORTIONS; AN AMPLIFIER IN ONE OFSAID HOUSING PORTIONS; MATING ELECTRICAL COUPLING MEANS BETWEEN SAIDINDIVIDUALLY CLOSED HOUSING PORTIONS FOR ELECTRICALLY CONNECTING SAIDMICROPHONE, SAID AMPLIFIER AND SAID NETWORK IN AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT;AND OUTPUT MEANS ON ONE OF SAID HOUSING PORTIONS FOR DELIVERING ANOUTPUT SIGNAL FROM SAID CIRCUIT TO AN ANCILLARY DEVICE.